A Ziff Davis legacy product that still works and takes PayPal/crypto, bundled with StrongVPN accounts - but the site is unmaintained (KB frozen since 2020, empty policies page, no channel list), so treat it as a bundle extra, not a primary choice.
site reachable · checked 11 h ago · daily check
curated review - researched and written by the smartdnscomparison desk · prose updated 2026-10-03 · facts as of 2026-10-03 · how we verify
StrongDNS is the Smart DNS product of Strong Technology, LLC, a Ziff Davis company - the same family behind StrongVPN [4]. The product is alive: the site serves real content, the order flow works, and StrongVPN's homepage actively cross-promotes StrongDNS as "included with every account" [3]. But this is a legacy product running on autopilot: the newest knowledge-base entry is dated 2020-04-25 [5], several menu routes serve pages whose body reads "The page you requested was not found" despite HTTP 200, and the policies page is empty [1].
StrongDNS publishes no channel or service list of its own [1]. The only count anywhere in the family is StrongVPN's bundling copy, which claims "140+ Services Supported" [3]. No per-service claims (Netflix, BBC iPlayer and so on) can be verified from the operator - which is why this review marks them unknown rather than repeating marketing. What Smart DNS cannot do: it does not create free content, and any unblocked service can break at any time as streaming platforms fight back [1].
The homepage lists Mac and Windows computers, Smart TVs, Android and iOS devices, tablets, gaming systems and routers [1]. There are no apps - setup is manual per device guides, which matches the frozen knowledge base [1]. You register your IP with the service and point the device's DNS at StrongDNS; when your IP changes you must update it in the account area.
Smart DNS reroutes only the DNS lookups used for geo-checks, so streams run at full line speed - that is the technology, not a vendor claim [1]. On service reliability there is essentially no recent public evidence in either direction: no recent third-party tests surfaced in our research, and the operator's own documentation has not been touched in years [1]. The site's soft-404s and empty policies page are not outages - the product, checkout and trial all function [1][2] - but they signal how little attention the product gets.
There is no SmartDNS-specific logging statement anywhere: the policies page is empty, and StrongVPN's privacy policy does not cover the DNS product's query handling [1]. That is an honest "not documented", not a no-logs claim. Smart DNS does not encrypt traffic or hide your IP; StrongVPN, bundled with every account [3], is what covers encryption. The order flow notes "Privacy Guarantee: We do not share your information and will contact you only as needed to provide our service" [2].
Documented pricing: $5 per month, or the 12-month plan at $4.17 per month equivalent [1]. A 7-day free trial exists but is not free of consequences [2]: "You will be charged in 7 days unless you cancel your order. Trial can be used only once," and a card is required in the order form [2]. A 30-day money-back guarantee is advertised [1]. Payment runs through PayPal or BitPay (crypto) [2]. As always with Smart DNS, the subscription does not include any streaming service - you still need your own accounts.
The domain has been registered since 2000 and is held through CSC Corporate Domains - the kind of registrar large media companies use [1]. StrongVPN's own lineage claims go back to the 1990s, and Ziff Davis acquired the Strong brand family years ago [4]. There is no recent independent coverage at all - zero news results and only old forum threads in community archives - which fits the maintenance-level picture [1].
StrongDNS is real, orderable and comes free with StrongVPN [3] - as a bundle extra that is fine. As a standalone Smart DNS purchase it is hard to recommend: no service list, no privacy documentation, a frozen knowledge base and a trial that auto-charges after 7 days [1][2]. If StrongVPN is already your VPN, take the DNS for what it costs you; otherwise the maintained services in this comparison are better first picks.
| Free trial | 7 days (credit card required) |
|---|---|
| Money-back | 30 days |
| Documented pricing | $5/mo · $50.04/yr |
| Pricing notes | $5/month or a 12-month plan at $4.17/month equivalent (billed yearly, "Save 16%"). 7-day trial ("You will be charged in 7 days unless you cancel") - card required. 30-day money-back guarantee. PayPal and BitPay (crypto) checkout. |
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StrongVPN family affiliate program; current terms on the program page.
Compared in detail on Best affiliate programs.
Real captures of the public website and setup/client pages, taken by us. We do not fake product shots - pages we could not reach (bot walls, geo blocks) simply have no image.
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Based on our checks as of 2026-10-03: StrongDNS scores 4.2/10 in our weighted review. We logged 1 red flag (listed above). User reports and operator background are documented with dated sources in the meta-review below.
Cheap ($2.99/mo flat) with DoH/DoT and 3 simultaneous locations, run by a named individual with no published company - and strictly no refunds. The 3-day trial is the only safety net.
A modern, technically strong DNS platform (DoH/DoT/DoQ, 1009 documented services, 14-day no-card trial) - but the operator itself warns that unblocking is best-effort and excluded from refunds. Wrong first pick if unblocking is your primary goal.
The most complete standalone Smart DNS: 400+ channels, VPN bundled, 14-day trial without a card.
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